Naomi Klein’s book “The Shock Doctrine” contains a chapter about the transition of the Chinese economy, compliant to the Neo Liberal or Neo Conservative template of the Chicago School of Economics. She mentions the fact that the Tianamen Square Disaster in 1989 was not about beating down the popular movement that was roaring-up against the monocratic Communist structure, but – at least for an important part – the resistance was aimed at the move China was making into the direction of Neo Liberalism, thus following Friedman and his crazy ideas.
In this Chapter, she mentions Wang Hui, research professor at the Tsinghua University, who wrote the book “China’s New Order”, in which the transformation China has been putting itself through since 1989, is described in detail and with a very strong foundation of economic and sociological theory.
So I thought, that it might at least be interesting to read something on this slowly awakening giant, that is going to make our traditional western European hegemonic thinking obsolete within some years, with the upshot of our next generations having to learn Chinese at school; if they want to stand a chance in the world of trade.
I was right, it was interesting, but is is also a very, very heavy book, which makes it difficult to plough through whilst sitting in the sun, garden-side, and trying to relax in the mean time. I won’t recommended anyone to read this, I am sorry to say. But for anyone who can conjure up the patience: it is an important book if one wants to understand the current state of China and the effects this country might have in the next decade or so.
